1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to solar panels for converting solar energy into electrical and thermal energy and, more particularly, to a lightweight and inexpensive solar panel housing.
2. Background Art
As the world demand for natural resources, such as petroleum oil, petroleum products, natural gas, coal and the like, continues to rise, there is an ever increasing need to identify and use alternative forms of energy in an attempt to conserve what remains of a finite supply of natural resources. Alternative forms of energy are in use today and may include water or hydro, wind, and solar power to name a few. Of these alternative forms of energy, most often, solar power is seen as one of the most abundant forms of renewable energy.
Generally, solar power may be collected from the sun and transformed into electrical or thermal energy through the use of solar panels. Photovoltaics are typically used to collect solar energy and covert the solar energy directly into electricity. Many photovoltaics may be connected to form a solar panel. Many solar panels may be arranged in an array on the tops of buildings or on the ground and are generally required to produce enough electrical energy to supply electrical power to a building.
Alternatively, solar panels may be used to change the sun's solar energy into thermal energy to heat water that may be used for bathing, washing and swimming. As with photovoltaic solar panels, thermal solar panels may be arranged in an array on the roof or a building or on the ground such that each of the panels may be connected together through plumbing to allow water or other fluids to circulate through the pipes of the panels. As the water or other fluids circulate through the pipes and solar panels, the solar energy captured by the thermal panels will increase the temperature in the water or other fluids. The heated water or fluids may then been stored or used right way.
Although solar energy is quite useful and abundant, presently the conversion from solar energy to electricity is quite inefficient. Because of this inefficiency, many photovoltaic panels are connected together through an array of solar panels, as described above, such that enough solar energy may be collected and converted to electrical power to operate lighting and appliances in a home. In commercial applications, there is a need for even more solar panels to collect and convert enough electrical energy to operate a large commercial building.
While the conversion from solar energy to thermal energy may be done so more efficiently than the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy, there is still a need to use an array of solar panels to convert the sun's energy to heat fluids for a building or home. As with photovoltaic panels, a number of solar panels are needed to facilitate an adequate thermal energy transfer to heat a sufficient amount of water for use.
Often, the sizes of these solar panels are very large to accommodate the electrical or thermal internals required for energy transfer and they may weigh tens of pounds. Typically, a commercial solar panel may be as large as four feet in width by eight feet in length. The housing of the solar panels are generally fabricated from a metal, such as steel, aluminum and the like, to provide rigidity and structure to the panel and to protect the internal energy transfer components from the elements of rain, wind, snow and the like. The metal housing or trays contribute to the weight of the panel and often make the panels difficult to manipulate as they are installed and often add a significant amount of weight to a non-load bearing roof.
Another drawback with present day solar panel designs is that they may be only used in daylight hours when the sun is shining to transfer solar energy to solar or thermal energy. Solar panels provide no functional benefit during the night hours. Providing a means to use the solar panels during the evening will further improve the efficiency of the solar panels, lower the costs of energy use and ultimately help to ensure we conserve our natural resources.
Therefore, a need exists for a lightweight and inexpensive solar panel housing that may be used in conjunction with a solar panel for converting solar energy from the sun into useful electrical or thermal energy. Also, there exist a need for a solar panel housing that may be manufactured such that components of the solar panel may be used during night hours or times of little or no sunlight.